Ready to Reinvest in Your Company? Use Social Networking to Find the Next New Great Hire
In the immediate panic of a recession, most companies try to save money by reducing their labor force. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate remained steady at about 9.4% throughout June and July. This suggests that the most drastic cuts are done and perhaps, even more promising, that companies are becoming ready to move forward by reinvesting in quality employees. Are you one of these companies? Be creative in your new hire search by Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t Get Lazy with Social Networking!
A huge part of running a successful business is being proactive—responding to e-mails as soon as possible, returning phone calls within the same business day, presenting new ideas for clients to consider, finishing projects ahead of schedule, searching for and reaching out to prospective clients before they find you, and the list goes on. These days, social networking presents an interesting challenge to proactive businesspeople: It offers a convenient, fast, and effective way to connect with clients and prospects, but the mediums are ever changing. In other words, it’s sometimes tough to Read the rest of this entry »
Use Blogging to Add Dimension to Internet Relationships
Not long ago, any business that functioned primarily over the Internet was looked at with suspicion, even straight-up mistrust; many times, rightfully so. But these days, the Internet has given legitimate businesses a virtually unlimited forum for serving customers—and it’s expanded the way customers do business as well; now they can look beyond local brick-and-mortar establishments to find experts in nearly any industry. But the trick to doing business online (and over the phone) is finding new ways of building relationships and Read the rest of this entry »
How to Approach Branding like a Game—and Win
Is it a coincidence that Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt (a.k.a. the founder of Google) are all avid chess players? Probably not. Building a brilliant brand is a game of strategy—a game that these men have mastered with awe-inspiring results. Take a cue from their (and my own!) hobby, and start building your branding strategy by adapting a few basic chess rules:
As if You Needed Another Reason to Distrust Commercial Publishers…
Have you ever thought about what the cover of your published book would look like? Of course you have. Just like you’ve thought very carefully about (and described) what your characters look like, what the setting reveals—all the things that take a bare plot and imbue it with life. Which is why it can be a crushing blow when your commercial publisher designs and implements a cover without your approval. Or, in some cases, your express disapproval.
Take the current controversy with the U.S. cover of Justine Larbalestier’s novel, Liar. On her blog Larbalestier described her protagonist, Micah, as “black with nappy hair which she wears natural and short.” However, the book cover features a Read the rest of this entry »
How to Value Your Creative Work…in Dollars, That Is
When it comes to money, most creatives entering into business make the mistake of selling themselves short. They worry about competing with the cheapest guys out there instead of pricing their work at a point that is both fair and profitable—or they simply don’t know how to arrive at that point. I’ll make it simple:
- Determine how many hours you’ll spend on the project
- Multiply by an hourly wage that suits your skill and experience level
- Add Read the rest of this entry »
Ditch the Binder—A Multimedia Portfolio is the Modern Creative’s Best Friend
When you work in a creative field, your work speaks for itself. In fact, it’s the only thing that can speak for it. No amount of clever marketing, self-promotion, or even outstanding recommendations can take the place of a portfolio in convincing a prospective client/buyer/agent/producer/label/[fill in the blank] to take a chance on you.
But the days of the black binder are gone. With most of the world doing business online, the most important place for your portfolio to be is on the Web. And the most important thing about it is that it stand out while still showcasing your work in a way that is authentic to your voice and values.
One of the best ways to achieve these goals is to Read the rest of this entry »
About Corey Blake
Corey’s writing and visionary work has been published in Writer Magazine, Script Magazine, and on StartUp Nation and has been featured on Fox News, NBC5, Sacramento and Co, Adelante (WGN Chicago), and in print such as Young Money, Hoy, La Raza, Hispanic Executive Quarterly, MovieMaker Magazine, Dance Magazine and Hollywood Screenwriter Magazine. He is the co-author of EDGE! A Leadership Story (finalist, National Best Books 2008 Awards) with Bea Fields and Eva Silva Travers, From the Barrio to the Board Room with Robert Renteria, Excalibur Reclaims Her King with Angelica Harris and The Family Business with Dr. Kay Vogt. He is also Chairman of the Dream of Writers of the Round Table Inc. Read More
